Copy
Your weekly newsletter from

Dear Friend,

Masks were much in the news this week, from a survey released Monday indicating that COVID-preventative mask use is on the rise in Montana (a finding vigorously disputed by anecdotal reports) to Gov. Steve Bullock's Thursday press conference vigorously encouraging the state's citizens to be vigilant with protective measures heading into the holiday weekend as COVID-19 cases spike around large gatherings.

But it wasn't all face coverings. The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision with potentially big consequences for how Montana helps fund private schools, and the state's utility commission weighed in on NorthWestern Energy's plan to secure an energy supply for the coming decades that can meet the demand.

To cap off the week at MTFP, reporter Mara Silvers connects the dots in the recently solved saga of who funded the signature gathering that qualified Montana's Green Party for the 2020 ballot — an unmasking of sorts — and how that revelation reveals a shortcoming in state campaign finance laws enacted in 2019 to prevent precisely that sort of secrecy.

And on that note, we're headed off into the holiday ourselves, which is why you're receiving this weekly newsletter on Thursday instead of the usual Friday. We're looking forward to a safe and celebratory long weekend. We hope you enjoy one too.

Brad Tyer, editor

In 2018, an obscure political initiative operating across Montana sought signatures of support from registered voters to qualify the state’s Green Party for the June primary election. Over the course of 19 days in February and March, petitioners working for a company called Advanced Micro Targeting collected 9,461 signatures toward the cause, according to records from Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices. But in the months after those signatures were collected — an effort that temporarily certified the Green Party for the ballot — a political mystery began to unfurl. […]

As governors in a number of states turn to mask mandates amid a renewed surge of COVID-19 cases, Gov. Steve Bullock said in a Thursday press conference that he isn’t prepared at this point to take a similar step in Montana, preferring instead to work with business groups in an effort to promote voluntary compliance with health guidance suggesting masks are a vital tool for checking the virus’s spread. Even so, Bullock chided the public for failing to do a better job adhering to mask-wearing and social-distancing guidance and urged residents to be more conscientious. […]

As of Thursday, July 2, Montana reports a total of 1,083 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 67 new cases since yesterday, 389 active cases, and 22 deaths from the disease. State officials also report that 106 of the cases have resulted in hospitalizations, with 14 patients currently hospitalized, and 672 patients considered recovered. […]

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday said Montana incorrectly excluded religious schools when it created a 2015 tax incentive program to help families pay for private school tuition. In a 5 to 4 decision split between the court’s liberal and conservative justices, the court discarded a 2018 Montana Supreme Court ruling that had killed a private education tuition assistance initiative, setting the stage for lawmakers to potentially expand or create new programs to benefit private schools using state resources. […]

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up.

Montana’s Public Service Commission issued formal comments June 30 on a long-term electricity supply plan developed by NorthWestern Energy, endorsing the company’s push to secure more generating capacity amid a wave of regional coal plant closures. The regulatory agency, however, criticized the analytical model NorthWestern used to justify its proposed strategy for the coming years, saying the company gave short shrift to renewable energy sources and failed to provide thorough study of key options like purchasing power from other utilities. […]

More than three-quarters of Montanans are wearing face masks, avoiding crowded public places and practicing social distancing in response to the coronavirus, according to a survey conducted by the University of Chicago in late May and early June. […]

Free news is more important than ever

If you value Montana Free Press, please donate to our nonprofit newsroom today. We need your support to keep our reporting accessible to all.






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
Montana Free Press · PO Box 1425 · Helena, MT 59624 · USA